After the Darkness, Before the Sunlight
by silverstein-windows
Summary: My first fanfic ever. I'm only used to poems, so it may be amateur. After the events of TLOZ:Twilight Princess. Link and Zelda become closer as Zelda gives him a proposition. Sorta romance-ish. Still in progress.
1. Propositions and New Beginnings

Part One ....

The wine stained sky was deftly littered with stars as the diffused evening sun disappeared from the sky. Streets emptied of children and families,

as the hours of darkness faded over Castle Town. The destruction of the castle left a void within the city that kept some from remembering the

more prosperous times of Hyrule. "We cannot stay in the inn forever, Princess." said Impa. "I understand your feelings, Impa, but I do feel that

this is enough for now. We shall worry later." Reassured the Princess. "But the castle isn't due to be back to its original glory for at least another

year. I shall find you a proper home for the time being, and I will return to my home village until I can find us a suitable domicile." Zelda's

constant lulling of her unaware complaints became ineffectual, so she found some use within going to sleep.

Further away, in a quiet village, the Hero sat upon the roof of his tree house. The soft melody of the summer's breeze and the rustling of leaves

and branches completed the serenity of the moment. The darkening violet sky left a sense of emptiness inside Link, as if when the twilight sky

disappeared, so did a little bit of his soul. "Link?" The little voice calling from below brought him out of his melancholy dream state. He peered

down, to see a content Talo. "Are you going to play with us today? Because it's getting dark out, and I want to soon." He said, slightly annoyed.

"Not today, Talo. I'm… uhm... going to bed soon." He lied, ever so smoothly. "You better make it up to us tomorrow" said the smaller child, who

had just appeared next to Talo. "I promise. Now go home. Your parents will worry about you." He said with the hint of a smile on his face.

Grasping onto the ledge of the roof, he slid down and hung off the siding. Pulling himself through the open window, he landed on the floor with a

thud. After taking his unconventional seat on the floor, he allowed himself to be lost in his thoughts, and dozed off under the window sill, slipping

under into the world of euphoria, the world of back then."Link! You have mail! Link? Are you awake yet?" Ilia called. Her constant beckoning

brought him out of sleep, as he hazily got up and made his way to the door. "Good morning Link. Or should I say, good afternoon, considering it's

about two o' clock in the day. You have a letter, from the Royal Family." Even though he was still half-asleep, that definitely caught his attention.

"It's from the Princess herself. Has this got to do with your adventure? You must tell me all of it sometime. You really did skip out on detail, you

know."She said, as she began to nag. "Yeah, sorry Ilia. Some other time, okay? Thanks, by the way." He mumbled. As they said their goodbyes,

and he shut the door, he began to ponder about the letter. "There really isn't much of a reason for her to be summoning me, unless it's

personal." He thought. As he unfolded the crimson colored envelope, he began to read. "So, tomorrow I set out for Castle Town, eh?" He said to

himself. Leaving the letter on a table indoors, he left his house, and went off into the village. Everyone was excited for his trip to the Castle, or at l

east where it used to be. The neighboring manor for emergencies of the Royal Family was somewhere hidden among the town. Zelda

recommended he left at an earlier hour, so he could arrive on premature hours of the morning were a type of lilac harmony, where the

night and day met as one and unified completely. He applied his finest clothes, besides the Hero's tunic, and grabbed a light amount of essential

gear, and set out with Epona, off into the morning instance of Hyrule Field. The rolling green was so much more striking without the hordes of

Bokoblins that once roamed the field. He hadn't left the village since the day when they ended it. When evil was banished, and when light was

severed from the shadows. But those days were so far away now, or so it seemed. At least only a month, but to Link, it seemed like pain that

carried on without end. As the day prolonged the sky got darker. "It's going to rain," he thought. Link hurried along, trying to go as fast as he

could without fatiguing Epona. He neared the front gates of Castle Town. He brought Epona in, and left her within one of the stables. Searching

the damp streets of the town, he finally came across the place where he needed to be. The rain beat down on him as he presented the letter to

the guards outside of the door. They seemed quite suspicious of why the Princess would want to have an audience with a lowly farm

stepped inside, with the tepid air welcoming him kindly. "Greetings, hero. The Princess is waiting upstairs." Said a woman. She had white, no,

silver hair, and the strangest purple eyes. "Come now! Are you going to see the Princess or wait in the foyer until you dry off?" she scolded, ever

so lightly. He followed her up the staircase, as she handed him a towel. He quickly dried off as best he could and then tossed the towel back to

the woman as he entered the room. "Hello, Link. It's very nice to meet you properly, now, where we can finally speak leisurely." She said

older woman stepped inside the room, and prepared a pot of tea. "Shall I call you Link? Or do you prefer hero?" She asked softly.

"Uh, Link is fine, your highness." He said, stumbling over his words. "Link, there is no need to be so nervous. And Zelda is perfectly fine, thank

you." Her voice bewildered him. So soft and beautiful, but still so demanding (or so it seemed to Link) and regal. "I wanted you here so I could

thank you. Give you a very proper apology." "Apology? For what, your highne- I mean, Zelda." He said, still as nervous as ever. "You took charge

of the situation, without asking. When my people were in danger, I sat in silence and remorse, where as you took hold of the situation and

became a hero. I must apologize, for my actions were inane." She said, looking towards the tea cup that was now placed in front of her. "Zelda,

you were alongside me in battle. How, in any way, were you inane? You tried the best that was allowed to you, and nobody is making blame for

you." He said, trying to keep his cool. It became easier after the mood was set, but he was still a tad unnerved. "Anyways, how are your injuries?

" she asked."Oh, well, all are healed, I suppose. A few of the more serious wounds haven't closed up completely yet, even though it was a while

ago.""That's pleasant. I myself have been having some troubles recently, as of living abodes. Impa simply won't allow for me to stay in this inn

anymore." She said, troubled. "Hmm, that's not good." "Yes, and also, another sentry from the neighboring kingdom has tried to make an

attempt on me and my family's lives." "What? Zelda, that's unspeakable." "Yes, I know. So I understand that most of my personal guards are

cowards, and so, this is another favor I ask of you, Link. Will you be my personal guardian? Just for the time being, at least until the Castle is

repaired back to its originality." Link was shocked, more of just because he couldn't believe of the favor he was being asked."I know it's a bit

much, and especially after what happened, but, I put my trust in you.""Uh, yes, Zelda. I accept your proposition.""Thank you very much Link.

This mean I shall be in your care at all times, correct? So, then, I will be housed in your residence?" "Yes, Princess."In the morning light, Link

assisted Zelda with her bags, and helped her onto Epona. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. "Yes, of course. Now, let's set off." Heading swiftly

across the field, Link hoped to run into as little problems as possible. He was a personal bodyguard, after all. And Zelda expected a lot, or so he

thought. Their exit was a bit late, and the sun had already begun to set. The bloody color of red fell onto the sky as the light began to fade away.

He intended to go as fast as possible, to avoid all of the stalhounds. "Zelda, I'll have to pick up speed if were going to avoid trouble. Hold on

tighter, okay?" he said. Zelda nodded her head, leaving him a swift "mmhmm" as they went faster and faster, nearing the forest. The twilight

breeze raked through her hair, leaving a most refreshing feeling. As the sky became a navy blue, and the stars bright light became out of place,

they neared Faron, entering through the shrubs and trees."You live in a tree house? How picturesque. I've always wanted to live closer to

nature." She mused. "Ah, yes. I moved into here by myself after I turned 10." She was about to ask about his parents, but she sensed a light

mood of downheartedness where the question laid. "Ah. Well, aren't you going to show me inside?" she said playfully. Link snapped out of his

thoughts and proceeded up the ladder, and then helping the Princess up. Stepping aside, he opened the door for Zelda. He tried to be as

courteous as possible, she was a princess after all, whether they were friends or not."I'll get your things. I'll be back in an instant." He said as he

hurried out the door. Zelda took this as a chance to look around without seeming nosy. She studied every visible bit of the area, looking at all of

Link's various finds. "Ah, I see your meddling around, eh?" he joked. Zelda let out a small chuckle. "Yes, you have many beautiful curios, Link.

You must've found them during your journey." She said. "Yeah, I guess I took a few prizes. Uh, where do you want me to put these?" asked

Link, while holding the various belongings. "Oh, I'll take them. It isn't much, just basic things. I wouldn't trouble you with all of my possessions."

From his expression, Link seemed worn-out. "You should get some sleep." She said. "Oh, yeah. Hmm… you can sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep on

the bench.""Oh, but I couldn't ask you to give up your bed." She worried that she seemed stuck-up. "Nah, it's okay. You seem pretty tired

yourself. Go up to bed. I'm just going out for a bit. I'll be right back." He said as he opened the door. "I see. Thank you Link. Good night." She

whispered as he shut the door. Bo heard a knock at the door."Who could it be at this hour?" he said, warily. Ilia scurried down the staircase, and

opened the door. "Link! I knew it was you. You're always returning home late nowadays." She said. "Haha, Hi Ilia. I didn't believe that a nag was

a proper greeting until now," he said with a smile on his face. "Well, you do come home late all the time... Come on in, for it's probably cold

outdoors by now.""So, what brings you here, my boy?" Bo asked. "Well, see, Princess Zelda has asked me to become her personal bodyguard of

sorts." He said proudly. "Link! That's such an opportunity! Good for you!" Ilia stated happily. "Thanks, Ilia. Also, she's staying with me until the

main areas of the castle are rebuilt." "So, we have a member of the Royal Family staying in Ordon, eh? Well, that's some audience to impress."

Bo remarked. "Link, you've grown into a fine sort of man. Your father would've been proud."Link soon left Bo's home and strolled back to his

own. When he got in, he remembered that Zelda was asleep in his bed. He was a bit disappointed, he was looking forward to a good nights sleep,

but that wasn't on the list, clearly. He grabbed some blankets and a small pillow, and fell into a light slumber on a wooden bench.


	2. Rainy Mornings, Bribes and Green Eyes

The princess rolled over in the bed. The echo of rain beating the windowpane woke her from the idyllic world of drowsiness. As she got up, her hazelnut colored hair hung over her eyes, masking her vision. "Your awake?" she heard a voice ask. Flipping her hair back, she realized the voice was Link. "Oh, yes. Good morning, Link." She said mellifluously. The sound of her voice was like a quiet harmony to him. Her pale skin was illuminated by the aqua glow of the downpour, hitting the window like liquid pebbles. And her cobalt eyes hit him like a ton of bricks. Never had he truly noticed her loveliness like now, when he looked into the sapphire eyes of the Princess. "Good morning to you as well, Zelda. When the weather clears, would you like to meet the village people?" he asked considerately. "Sure, if you want to. You know, you don't have to act so proper. It's just us now, remember?" she said unreservedly. He laughed a bit, and responded with a nod, as he headed down the ladder. "What do you want for breakfast?" he yelled up to her. "Whatever you want is good." He hadn't eaten a real meal in a while. Since his diet mainly consisted of different kinds of potions and liquids during the adventure, he hadn't really eaten much. The chu jellies and potions were enough to sustain his health. "You know, we don't really need to eat.. Unless you're hungry. We could just relax a while. " She commented. "Look, the sky seems to be clearing up anyways! We can go out soon, if you want." She added. Link took a glance at the upper level window. He noticed that the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds.

When the rain and clouds finally cleared, Link took it as a chance to introduce Zelda to the Ordonians. Colin noticed Link as he was walking back home, and ran up to him. "Hey Link. Who's this?" he asked. "Colin. This is Zelda." He responded. "Oh, hi Zelda! My names Colin, nice to meet you. Did you know, you have the same name as the Princess of Hyrule!" he replied, excited. "Haha, nice to meet you Colin." She said. "Colin, this is Princess Zelda." Link said. Colin fell silent, and then fixed himself a bit. "Oh Link! I didn't know you met a Princess! My name is Colin, your Highness." He said. Zelda let out a few giggles. "There's no need to be so stiff, Colin. I'm not on call here, I'm free for the time being. At some point, Talo then realized that Link never played with him the day before. He scampered over to Link, tugging on the end of his shirt. "LINK! You promised, and you LIED. You didn't play with me and Talo! Why didn't you?!" he whined loudly. "Because, Talo. I'm with a guest." He replied softly. Just then, Beth and Malo came over, then followed by others who wanted to see what the commotion was about.

"Everyone, this is Princess Zelda." He introduced. Beth was the most shocked out of everyone who hadn't heard the news. She continued to compliment Zelda, over and over again, until Zelda had to stop her with a bribe. "You know, I have a dress that doesn't quite fit me. You could have it, if you'd like."she offered. "Oh yes! I'd like that a lot, Princess!" she yelled excitedly. "Yeah, okay. Just make sure that your quiet about it, I mean you wouldn't want to make the other kids jealous, would you?" she bribed carefully. Link, who was off to the side, let out a sly laugh, in height of the situation.

Later in the day, when the sun began to set, Link and Zelda went off into the forest, settling onto a few flat rocks in the spring. "Link, this place is beautiful. I've never been so free in my life. I really appretiate this. I know its something that'll definitely never happen again." She smiled warmly at him. "It's really no problem. I enjoy having you here too. And I know this wont ever be another experience I'll have. We've never had such a talk before, Zelda. Even before, we'd never been able to be so … comfortable, since what happened. And, I didn't think I'd ever be so relaxed around you again, after she left, you know? She was one of the things that kept us together, even if it was indirectly." He said, beginning to get lost. He quickly snapped out of it, remembering that now is present, and then was past. "Yes, I understand, and at the same time, I know that I could never comprehend." She said softly. She placed a light, lithe hand on his broad shoulder. "I think this has happened at the right time though. I really needed someone, someone who was there." He whispered. Behind the corner, Ilia became thoroughly resentful against Zelda, clearly green-eyed.


End file.
